Eye for an Eye
by Gothic984
Summary: Gail becomes detached due to Lucas' previous actions, as Christie' funeral nears.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from From The Fire.

It was a stormy late evening in Trinity South Carolina, the strong winds blew the branches of the trees violently and heavy rain flooded the streets, as though attempting to purge some unknown dark force from the Town.

Lucas Buck stood across the street from the old Wicca Store that his Mother used to treasure, allowing the heavy rain to soak through his clothes. His wet caramel blonde hair was draped over his handsome face and water trailed down his warm body continuously; however, he was not deterred and he continued to stare intensely at the only lit window on the first floor of the Wicca Store, trying to ascertain what was going on in there.

It had been a week since he lost control and disposed of his wife's oldest friend Christie, Gail had tried to project a calm collected exterior; however, he sensed that on the inside she was spiralling out of control. His love had taken to locking herself away in this sacred building that he had gifted her after their wedding, to cement their official union and she had somehow managed to block out all access from the outside world.

Usually Lucas would be happy for something like this to keep him on his toes, he enjoyed a good challenge from his love and her blocking him out completely would serve as a welcome distraction from his mundane townspeople; however, she was not just blocking him out of her mind, she had somehow blocked him from sensing anything within the Wicca Store and that was not acceptable when she was heavily pregnant.

A shadow flickered across the candle light in the window and Lucas stared up at the dark figure that was clearly watching him. He had no way of knowing if it was his wife, as the curtains blocked part of the silhouette and he let out a long sigh as he continued to allow the rain to run down every part of him, refusing to move from his position until he had breached the barrier that she had put up.

Gail sat at the small table in the upstairs office, reading the small black book carefully. She sensed her husband stalking her outside as he had on so many other evenings and pushed him out of her mind, past caring about his concern for her after he had lost control and killed her oldest friend.

It was not Gail's intention to purposefully punish him, their relationship had gone past such tedious vendetta's and she was trying not to entertain the thought of vengeance; however, she was struggling to keep her darkness caged after seeing what had happened to her friend and knowing the action was caused by someone she loved, so she found it easier and safer for all involved to shut herself away from the outside world and attempt to focus her energy on other things such as Lucas' Mothers journal.

'Your mutt's been out there for over an hour Poppet, it's pathetic to watch. Can't you call him off?' Peter Emory asked quietly, trying to hide his hatred for the man outside and his irritation over his only child succumbing to the bastards charm.

Gail sensed her Fathers feelings and shook her head in exasperation, she could not be mad at him for he how he felt as it was her own fault for letting him stay around; however, she had no patience for his judgement right now and she would not entertain any kind of insult towards her family. 'Get away from the window, unless you want my mutt to know you're here and end whatever you think this is' she said bluntly, reaching for the large faded book she was cross referencing the journal against and began scanning the pages intently.

Peter gave Lucas one last look of disdain, then turned towards his Daughter and let out a long sigh. 'When he realises I'm here, which he will soon, do you really think he's gonna take lightly to you hiding things from him?'

'How do you know that he isn't already aware of your presence?' Gail asked, amused at his belief that she would actually lie to her husband to protect him.

Peter regarded her cautiously for a moment, trying desperately to read her thoughts; however, his attempt failed and he let out a frustrated breath. 'You want him to get rid of me, is that it?' he asked, truly unsure of what her intentions were for him.

'Right now I couldn't give a damn about what either of you do, I just want to read this damn book and I can't do that with you running your mouth all of the time' Gail snapped agitated, then stood up pushing the chair behind her forcefully and headed out of the room.

The truth of the matter was that Lucas had been aware of her Fathers presence previously and she had indicated that she would deal with it, just like he said he would deal with Malcolm. As Malcolm still remained and with the recent tragic event, she had put her Father way down on her list of priorities and Lucas had not questioned her about him since his initial acknowledgement of his presence. She had no idea whether her husband even realised her Father was still around and right now she did not care, as it was taking all of her strength to just focus on herself and her children.

As she walked down the old stairs of the Wicca Store, she reflected on how complicated her life was. She clearly loved the wrong man, that was undeniable; however, she was bound to him by some strong supernatural desire and she could not be rid of him, no matter how screwed up his actions were. Her Father could not judge her, he had abused her and her Mother for years with no regard for his family, yet she still kept him around and for what? She could not even guess an answer for that unwise decision.

Gail stared at the dark main area of the Store and focused her attention on the seven candles placed around the large room. She closed her eyes and pictured the Trinity Guardian going up in flames so many years ago, then let out a small breath when the candles lit and smiled to herself triumphantly. It may only be a small victory to someone like her husband; however, she was one step closer to being able to control her power and Lucas' Mothers journal was helping her unlock the pieces one small step at a time.

When a strong gust of wind travelled around the room and blew out one of the candles, Gail let out a long sigh and headed to the locked front door of the building, cursing herself for dropping her guard even just for a second. She placed the palm of her hand on the curtain hanging down over the door, pressing it against the glass gently, then inhaled deeply and moved it aside knowingly to reveal her husband on the opposite side of door with his palm against the glass.

Lucas stared at his love through the misty glass of the door soaked from head to toe, not bothering to shield himself from the heavy raindrops which had suddenly intensified. He sensed that Gail was not alone and his twin was clawing to be released to punish whoever she was choosing to spend her time with over him; however, he just took in a deep breath and continued to regard her calmly through the glass, waiting for an invitation to indicate that she still wanted him.

Gail stood still for a moment and held her husbands gaze, unmoved by his appearance. She regarded him coldly for a moment then unlocked the door and opened it wide, her demeanour remaining unchanged. She sensed the rage just beneath his surface and willed him to openly do something that could allow her to retaliate; however, he just continued to stare at her expectantly, clearly wanting her to invite him in to her domain.

'Are you alone?' Lucas asked calmly, not allowing his jealousy to outwardly show.

'Do you really want to know?' Gail asked flatly and forced herself to remain calm, not giving him any reason to use her as an excuse to pry into her business.

Lucas thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly and entered the Wicca Store when she stepped aside to welcome him in. He glanced at the six candles that remained strongly lit illuminating the main area and nodded his head appreciatively, sensing that she was finally starting to accept what she was.

Gail watching him carefully and smiled proudly when he acknowledged her effort. It was strange that after all he had done, his approval should still have such a affect on her when she prided herself on not needing such a thing from a man. She could not deny the warm feeling that his approval had stirred within her and she allowed herself to let the feeling in.

Lucas sensed her demeanour shift slightly and turned to face her fully. He was concerned about her in her current state and wanted her home with him so they could work this out on his soil; however, if he was required to push aside his usual need for dominance and seek her out at her domain, then so be it. He was not too proud to bend to his soulmate if that was what she needed. 'Tomorrow is-' he started cautiously.

'Official voting, I know' she interrupted, not wanting him to complete his intended sentence and instantly changing the subject.

'Christie's funeral and you can't push it away anymore Gail' he continued, not allowing her to ignore the matter any longer.

Gail felt her darkness begin to rise at the mention of her friends name and tensed. He had been smart enough to avoid the subject previously, allowing her to grieve in her own way and she felt her composure starting to slip at his sudden change in tactic. Before she had a chance to lose control of her emotions she gripped the top of his soaked shirt roughly, pulled him to her and kissed him forcefully. She did not want to think about what would come tomorrow, she just wanted to focus on the present and she chose to embrace her body's usual betrayal, allowing him to be her distraction.

Lucas sensed her sudden willingness to give in to her desire and knew this avoidance tactic was not healthy for his heavily pregnant wife; however, he sensed her need for him to take her sadness away and would never deny his love anything. Lucas pulled his lips free and took in a long sigh, before placing his hands gently on her cheeks and kissing her forehead softly. When he felt her hands trail down his chest and begin to unbuckle his belt, he took her chin in his hand gently and raised her head so he could look deep into her eyes intently.

'I don't want oblivion Lucas' Gail whispered, sensing his offer before he could make it.

Lucas stared at her shocked for a moment, then smiled proudly at her ability to read his thoughts even when he had them guarded. 'It'd make your life a lot easier right now if you just allowed me to take the pain away love' he advised softly, hating the sadness he sensed within her.

'My life or yours?' Gail asked knowingly and dug her long nails into his chest hard, conflicted over her love for him and her hatred of his actions.

Lucas laughed amused at her candidness, then knelt down and lifted up her long dress slowly. 'You plannin' on makin' a move against me?' he asked sarcastically as he sensed the conflict within her and attempted to take her mind off of her sorrow, so she could focus on something that she could control.

'Not until my little army is all grown up and we can overthrow you and Caleb' Gail joked, making a dig at Malcolm's ludicrous beliefs and allowing her husband to distract her.

Lucas smiled and stared up at her longingly. Her ability to joke when she was clearly hurting and battling with her darkness was impressive, and it made him crave her more. He ran his hands up her toned legs and underneath her dress, then stroked her large stomach softly. 'You know, I think I might actually welcome the challenge...I don't recall a time that anyone actually beat me at anythin'' he pondered out loud, as he slowly removed her panties and bit his bottom lip enticingly.

Gail shook her head at his arrogance and subconsciously placed her hands over his when he continued to caress her stomach. 'You have a short memory soulmate, but I'll accept submission gracefully when my horse beats yours to office' she advised sweetly, confident in Adam's abilities to sway the votes to his side.

Lucas considered her comment for a moment, then stood up and turned her around effortlessly, before carefully placing her hands on the counter in front of her and pulling down his pants. 'When my horse wins, which he will, I'll gracefully accept your submission on your knees love' he teased dominantly, then slapped her behind playfully and pushed his hard manhood inside of her longingly.

* * *

Caleb sat with Billy Peele on the side porch of the Buck Mansion, watching Luke gently push Lucy to get her attention. As his Step Mom's mood had not been stable of late, he had taken up the responsibility of keeping an eye on Christie's loved ones while his Father tended to Gail. Right now Billy was just staring out into the empty garden at the torrential rain dazed, making him feel uncomfortable.

Caleb had been trying his best to stay out of this situation especially with Gail's heightened emotions and her suspicion of Buck men, which she did not hide recently. Merlyn had warned him to steer clear of his Step Mom while she was heavily pregnant and grieving, suspecting that her bad mood could turn towards him at any moment; however, he could not just allow his Father take on the burden of what was going on, so he chose to disregard his Sisters warning and hope that Gail would not find a reason to focus her anger on him.

A strong gust of wind blew heavy raindrops over Lucy and she screamed in surprise, the high pitched noise caught Caleb's attention and he jumped up abruptly when he realised that Luke was no longer with her. 'Goddamn it!' Caleb exclaimed as he rushed to the edge of the porch and stared around frantically for his little Brother, cursing the boy for being so mischievous.

'You want to be careful with your stray, you don't want him wandering off and stumbling into a situation he's not ready for' Selena warned sarcastically as she sauntered down the path with Luke in her arms, holding a large umbrella to shield them both from the rain.

Caleb let out a long sigh when he saw how wet his Brother was and shook his head disapprovingly when they neared. 'I'm sure he's tryin' to get me in trouble' he accused suspiciously, reaching for Luke when his Teacher came close.

Selena stared at Lucas' youngest with disdain, still not impressed that this family was not hers, then strolled casually over to Billy in her large heels and sat down in Caleb's seat uninvited. 'Now, why would parents leave a child here all alone to tend to a baby?' she asked cattily, continuing to focus her attention on Caleb and Luke.

'I ain't no child and I ain't alone' Caleb said defensively, not impressed with the insinuation that he could not take care of his Brother.

'Oh he's dead to the world and that little girl is no use to anyone' Selena laughed, signalling towards Billy's almost catatonic state and Lucy sat oblivious to anything that was happening.

'You think I was talkin' about him?' Caleb smiled mischievously, then watched smugly as Gideon skulked up the porch steps from the side of the house and approached Selena with his teeth barred.

Selena tensed instantly at the sound of the low growls and watched cautiously as the vicious dog approached her, with foamed saliva dripping off his sharp white teeth. She knew who this creature truly belonged to as she had been both attacked and saved by him in the past. Selena suspected the dog's Masters recent mood was not filling him with comfort and took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves.

'Call him off' Billy spoke up quietly, his attention being brought back to the present when he sensed his ex lover was scared.

'Or what?' Caleb asked defiantly, unable to hide his curiosity at what would happen if Gideon actually had free reign.

'He'd rip the flesh off you all without even breaking a sweat' Gail answered his unspoken question flatly, as she stood at the bottom of the porch steps and allowed the torrential rain to flow down her body unshielded.

Selena watched as Billy turned away from Gail ashamed, unable to look her in the eyes and realised that it had been a mistake coming here.

'And here I was thinkin' you were brain-dead, there may be some hope for you yet Teacher' Lucas smirked when he sensed Selena's realisation, then came up behind his wife and gently pushed her under the cover of the porch in an attempt to protect her already soaked body from catching a chill.

'I was just-'

'Inserting yourself into my business without provocation?' Gail interrupted Selena bluntly, allowing Lucas to pull off her drenched cardigan and stroke her bare arms protectively in an attempt to keep her warm.

It did not take a psychic to read her nemesis' mind and Selena knew better than to stay around when the woman was in such a hostile mood; therefore, she stood up carefully without saying a word and started to head towards the porch steps in an attempt to leave, not wanting to provoke her any further.

'And where do you think you're going?' Gail whispered with a hint of malice in her tone as she grabbed Selena's arm firmly and pulled her close to her, not caring about arousing suspicion from the children.

Lucas watched intrigued as Gail disregarded her usual responsible behaviour and let her true self seep through. Her lack of care for who was present aroused him and he took a step back to allow her the space to work her own way, curious as to how far she would take this.

Selena looked into Gail's eyes cautiously and saw something dark cross over them. She shot Caleb a quick glance in the hope of gaining some help and took a sharp intake of breath when she saw both children were just watching her like she was a science project. 'I haven't done anything-' she started to explain, then felt the grip on her arm tighten.

'You came here to gloat and you touched my son' Gail cut her off coldly, focusing all of her pent up rage on the woman before her.

'He was wandering off, it's not my fault the other demon wants him gone!' Selena snapped in a panic, unable to remain calm and attempting to draw the attention away from her.

'And now you're accusing my other Son of wanting to hurt his Brother?' Gail asked nonchalantly and shot Caleb a quick wink when he tensed at Selena's insinuation.

Selena looked towards Lucas for help, sensing Gail's anger rising even though she was not outwardly showing it and felt a lump in her throat when she spotted the aroused look that he was giving his wife. This was ridiculous, she may have come here to gloat a little over Christie but she had not shown any hostility towards the Buck family in a long time and she had believed they were finally over their desire to hurt her.

'Stop' Billy whispered hoarsely, as he stood up and let out an exasperated breath.

Gail continued to stare at Selena like she was a toy that she could pull apart easily, then turned her attention towards Billy. 'You couldn't stand up for the woman who actually cared for you, but you find your voice now for this whore?' she asked hurtfully, unable to hide her resentment for the man who allowed her friend to be killed.

Lucas sensed her rage shift and came behind up her, then ran his hand down her back softly. Directing her anger on Selena was one thing; however, Billy was his friend and there was no need for her to target him. 'He lost her too love' he tried to reason, then took a step back when he saw her full rage was now directed at him.

'You really want to comment on this matter sweetheart?' Gail snapped angrily, releasing Selena and turning her full attention to the real person to blame for the situation that they were in.

Selena felt a hand on her other arm and was led off the porch quickly by Billy, who held Lucy in his arms protectively. She sensed the tension rising as they left and did not dare glance behind her, knowing it would not end well for her if she did.

Lucas was happy to hold Gail's attention for the moment, not wanting her rage to spill out towards Billy. He was not used to having to consider how his lack of control would impact the people around him; however, Billy had not been a part of this and it was not right for him to be dragged in it.

Gail read his thoughts and could not hold in her laughter, his lack of morals were worse than she could have ever imagined when she gave herself over to him and this sudden concern for another person after he had murdered her best friend was beyond belief. Gail felt her control slip away and decided to embrace her darkness fully, past caring if it would turn on her husband or not.

Lucas saw her eyes turn black instantly when she let go of her self control and quickly released his twin, to counter whatever was coming his way. He had always wanted her to embrace her true self; however, not when his children were present.

Luke sensed his Mothers rage and subconsciously threw his dummy at her playfully, to get her attention. When she turned towards him with a dark look in her eyes, he reached out and struggled to break free from his Brothers grasp to get to her, feeling an uncontrollable need to be with her.

Gail stared at Luke angrily for a moment; however, when she saw his confused eyes start to well up with tears over how she was regarding him, her demeanour softened and she approached Caleb slowly then took Luke into her arms lovingly. She held her Son close to her chest and felt her rage subsiding as she rocked him gently in her arms, knowing she could not allow herself to slip for his sake and forced herself to regain full control again.

Lucas' twin hovered just beneath his surface and when Gail moved towards his eldest Son Lucas glanced at Caleb cautiously, then relaxed when his Son intelligently chose to remain quiet and underneath Gail's radar. He let out a quiet breath when she reached for Luke and watched as she held him lovingly in her arms.

Gail continued to rock Luke gently, holding him carefully over her large stomach and smiling when he wrapped his small arms around her neck to be closer to her. She could not believe she had willingly relinquished control in front of him and was disappointed in herself for not remaining strong.

Lucas felt his twin relax as his love's rage subsided fully and he stroked Luke's back gently, proud that his boy had sensed the need to step in. 'Come on, we're all gonna catch the death of cold out here' he said calmly, attempting to disregard what had just happened and carry on as usual.

Gail shot Lucas a malicious look when he came close, still feeling the conflict inside of her and pulled Luke away from him, then headed inside with her Son on her own. She had managed to calm herself for Luke's sake; however, her rage was still strong and she needed space to figure out how to regain her full composure so not to affect her family.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb sat at the small Kitchen table with a large glass of milk in his hand, reading the Trinity Guardian newspaper. He had become accustomed to his Step Mom's hostile mood of late; therefore, he was unfazed by what had transpired the previous night and was just relaxing before his parent's got up.

Caleb could not blame Gail for her off behaviour after the loss of her oldest friend. He knew he would not react well these days if something happened to someone that he cared about, that was proven when Poppy Bowen died and he wanted to hurt a lot of people for how he had felt. The difference with this was that Gail had known Christie long before she returned to Trinity and for Lucas to be involved with her death, it must be hard for her to even comprehend.

Gail leaned against the Kitchen door casually, watching Caleb curiously as his head was slumped over the newspaper that she did not approve of him reading. She was about to scold him knowing that he had sneaked down to get to the newspaper before the adults could, when she read his thoughts about her and felt herself tense.

Caleb saw the slight movement in the corner of his eyes, then closed the newspaper quickly and sat up straight. 'I weren't doin' nothin'' he stated defensively and tried not to look guilty.

'I get you're curious about certain things Caleb, but I'd rather you let me at least scan over what's in there so you aren't burdened with the bad in this Town' Gail sighed as she entered the Kitchen fully, regaining her composure and glanced disapprovingly at the newspaper before heading to the refrigerator.

Caleb sensed her forced calm demeanour and appreciated that she was trying to portray a strong outward appearance for him; however, he did not care about appearances and was very concerned about her when he saw how tired she looked. Caleb pushed the newspaper to one side, stood up and wrapped his arms gently around his Step Mother. He felt her tense at the gesture and just stroked her back softly, not allowing her to pull away.

Gail was about to push him off of her, not wanting to allow herself to feel anything right now; however, she relaxed into his touch and kissed his head affectionately when he rested it on her chest. 'I don't want you being subject to darkness Caleb, it's bad enough what goes on in our home' she whispered in his ear and stroked his head softly.

'But you were around bad all of your life and you turned out just fine' he smiled, content in her arms.

'That was different-' Gail started.

'You saw a lot more than me when you were my age and had no one lookin' out for you. I'm grown up now and I have you two takin' care of me...a few stories ain't gonna scare me Mom' Caleb interrupted, putting extra emphasis on the last word knowing it always distracted her from her thoughts.

Gail let out a long sigh and decided not to bother arguing with him. 'Alright Son...' she said sarcastically and smiled, sensing he was trying to take her mind off things and appreciating his concern for her '...I suppose it may be a little late to shield you after the life you've had so far'

Caleb smiled and looked up at her, happy that she was acting more like her usual self. 'I like you shieldin' me, I just don't see a point when you write about the bad things for this paper' he advised, allowing her to lead him back towards the table.

'That's precisely why I don't want you reading it! I don't hold back and some things I cover are not appropriate for a young boy to read' she sighed, then resigned fully to his previous points and pushed the newspaper back towards him. 'I suppose it didn't totally screw me up when I used to dig into stuff I shouldn't at your age, so it's all good' she advised, ruffling his hair playfully.

'You turned out mighty fine Mrs Buck, if I do say so myself' Lucas smiled charmingly, as he entered the Kitchen with Luke in his arms.

Gail rolled her eyes at the comment, then winked at Caleb when he witnessed her reaction and laughed at her.

Lucas regarded them both curiously when they shared a moment between them, then placed Luke in his high chair and sat down beside Caleb. 'What's the plan for today Son?' he asked and watched Gail carefully when she began making him a coffee.

Caleb shrugged and reached for the newspaper, then shot his Father a look of disdain when he pulled it away from him and started reading it himself.

'If you ain't got nothin' pressin', why don't you come into the office with me? I could do with help freein' up my schedule to jump on the front lines for the election' Lucas said casually and glanced over the top of the newspaper discreetly to monitor Gail's reaction. After what transpired the previous night, he was happy to allow her to be distracted from the other event that was happening later today.

'You should consider it' Gail suggested to Caleb sweetly, 'Your Father's horse needs as much help as he can get, considering the man's so stupid that he can barely string a sentence together on his own'

'As opposed to your Mom's horse who has absolutely no standin' in this Town or courage, and needs a girl to fight his battles for him' Lucas retorted, stunned that his wife was still backing Adam and refusing to have faith in his choice.

'At least my horse has an original thought once in a while and comes from a profession that protects the people of this Town' Gail patted Caleb on the back affectionately, as she leaned over and placed a mug of coffee in front of her husband.

'This is the man that allowed his client, who was guilty of raping several women might I add, to kill himself in my cells' Lucas added, amused at her belief that her candidate was better than his.

'As opposed to your pig who gropes his secretary at any opportunity he gets and parades around Town smugly like he's an honest family man? You know, the man who puts no value in women whatsoever and had to be taught by you how to tip a waitress?' Gail smiled, not allowing his comment to faze her.

'I'd take a dim man who can be taught a thing or two, over a public defender who failed his client in the most fatal way' Lucas stated, his tone turning cold.

'No I failed his client and come to mention it, I quite enjoyed it upon reflection' Gail said bluntly, bored of her husbands remarks. 'Oh and speaking as a woman, which there are a lot of in Trinity if you haven't noticed, a good honest public defender family man is much more appealing than an overweight chauvinist, who requires the Sheriff's assistance to wipe his ass'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down his anger at her statements and smiled charmingly at her. 'You don't think I can't get the woman vote? Have you forgotten who I am Darlin'?' he asked amused, knowing how much the women in his Town fantasise about him every night.

Gail shook her head at his confidence and smiled smugly. 'Oh I haven't forgotten Master Buck, you're an Adonis and all the women in this Town melt at your charm, especially the ones who are stuck with the usual calibre of male that Trinity has to offer, but do you really think they'll turn their back on the heavily pregnant Mrs Buck with her adorable children when she has the last Mayor's wife at her side supporting her candidate?...I think you need to research the pack mentality of women sweetheart and how they truly stick together when it counts' she advised sweetly, confident in her ability to rally the female constituents to her side.

Lucas regarded her irritated for a moment, then forced a smile. 'I thought you weren't gettin' involved in swayin' the votes love?' he asked in an agitated tone.

'I wasn't with being the Reporter covering the election, but with my oldest friend being murdered and me witnessing the horrific state of the body , I've decided I need a distraction that I can really sink my teeth into' she advised flatly, then kissed Caleb's cheek softly and headed upstairs leaving the boys alone in the Kitchen.

Caleb waited for a moment then stood up and started to leave, wanting to get ready so he could find Rose.

'And where do you think you're goin'?' Lucas asked Caleb irritated, giving Luke his stuffed elephant as a distraction when he reached in the direction his Mother had gone.

'To Rose's' Caleb answered warmly, then felt his Fathers hand grip his wrist when he went to leave again.

'Sit down, us boy's are stickin' together and if I find out either of my Son's have betrayed me, there'll be hell to pay' Lucas warned then stormed out of the Kitchen frustrated when Luke threw his stuffed elephant at him, leaving Caleb to place his head in his hand in exasperation at having been brought into the drama of the election.

* * *

Billy lay on his back in the small double bed he had shared with Christie and stared up at the ceiling blankly. He felt something brush against his arm as the figure beside him stirred slightly; however, he paid it no attention and just focused on the large crack in the ceiling, trying to steer his thoughts away from what today was going to bring.

Billy had no illusions about what his relationship with Christie was, they fought a lot and her incessant need to challenge everything relating to his best friend had been becoming unbearable; however, he did care for her deeply, she was the closest thing to normal that he could hope to find in this Town and they had built a stable family unit with her Daughter Lucy. Now Billy was left with Lucy, a child that was not biologically his and Christie's oldest friend was refusing to acknowledge the situation, making it even harder for him to figure out what he was supposed to do now.

This situation was was not good and although he had been acting cool and collected, he was not taking this loss well and he felt as though something had been ripped out of him. Christie's funeral was planned for later today, he had no idea what to expect as he had gone through the meeting with the funeral director in a haze and he had been thankful that Lucas had stepped up to assist him, even after all that Christie had tried to do to him.

Lucas had taken over the arrangements in Gail's notable absence, Billy suspected that she was taking the matter much harder than she was outwardly showing and this was not good for her in her current state. He knew from the little conversation that he managed to muster with Lucas that Gail was withdrawn, keeping herself busy and carrying on as though nothing had happened. Billy had taken a similar stance; however, it appeared Gail was better at keeping up her disguise, as he found himself detaching from reality completely after a small period of time when he was around people.

It was hard being around Gail, she saw right through his act and he sensed part of her blamed him for what had happened. He supposed he should have been more concerned when Christie did not come home that evening, Lucas had explained the accident happened much earlier and he would not have been able to change the outcome if he had been aware of the matter; however, the fact that Gail could not bare to look at him made his guilt intensify and he could not help but wonder if there was anything he could have done to prevent Christie's death.

Selena lay naked on her side under the thin cotton bed-sheet, watching Billy intently. It had been a long time since she had been with him and she knew last night was nothing more than a man using her as usual in an attempt to drown out his own misery; however, she still cared for him. The man had managed to pull her away from Lucas' hold even if only for a few months and he still had a special place in her heart.

She had been trying to get Billy's attention by stroking his arm and chest, feeling uncomfortable at his lack of response when she woke up. It pained her to see him in such a damaged state, she was not used to feeling this way and it left a horrible taste in her mouth. Selena decided to do the only thing she knew she was good at, in an attempt to help him through his grief and knowing it would also make her feel better.

Billy continued to stare at the ceiling as he allowed his brain to be flooded with all of his regrets, then took in a sharp intake of breath when he felt the soft moist lips close in around his manhood. He exhaled deeply, knowing exactly who was attempting to get his attention and tried to focus on the thoughts flowing through his mind; however, when Selena began to suck in the way she knew he loved, he let out a loud moan and tangled his hand gently in her hair.

Selena smiled and teased his manhood like she had on so many occasions, she remembered exactly what he liked and had no problem with putting his needs above her own, just like she used to with Lucas. When he gripped her hair harder she quickened her movement and trailed her tongue over his tip, she sensed his focus on her and sucked instinctively until his release came in her mouth, then straddled him and took him inside of her.

Billy allowed his focus to remain on Selena, stroking her toned tanned figure while she rode him hard. He had not intended on bringing her to Christie's home, or to take her in their bed; however, he had lost all control of what was right last night and she had been a welcome distraction from his grief, just like she was now.

Selena sensed his acceptance of her and continued to move her hips strategically, it did not take long for him to explode within her and she called out his name when her climax came close behind his. To Selena's surprise, when they had finished Billy pushed her off of him and got out of the bed. 'That's it?' she asked in disbelief, believing she had broken through his disdain for her and starting to feel her usual sense of shame when her partners disregarded her after they had gotten their release.

'This was nothing, now get out' Billy ordered quietly, as he searched for his robe so he could see to Lucy. He had not intended this to happen at all and if Gail found out, he could not bare to think of what her reaction to his weakness would be.

Selena let out a small laugh and shook her head, before getting out of the bed and picking up her clothes from the floor. 'For someone who saw right through Lucas Buck when you first came to Trinity, you've certainly taken on his disregard for women' she whispered coldly in Billy's ear, then left the room naked and headed towards her car.

* * *

Matt stood in the hospital room that Judith Temple had committed suicide in so many years ago and stared out of the window at the dark grey clouds in the sky. Ever since Christie had died, a darkness had fallen over Trinity and the sun was nowhere in sight. 'How are you finding this weather in your condition?' he asked Gail, as he waited for her to redress behind the curtain surrounding the hospital bed.

'You mean the storm clouds and torrential rain that's engulfed the Town over this past week? I like the rain' Gail shrugged and stepped out from behind the curtain to addressed her friend fully.

'It's strange to have so much rain at this time of year don't you think?' Matt asked, pondering out loud.

'What? Do you think recent event's have somehow taken over our summer sun?' Gail asked sarcastically, forcing her demeanour to remain calm so not to worry Matt due to how she was really feeling. Matt was finally accepting that he could be happy in life, she did not want to burden him with her demons.

Matt thought about the question and just shrugged, then turned towards her and placed his hand gently on her stomach. 'Considering what you're going through, I'd say our little girl is holding up just fine' he smiled, trying to focus on her test results and the positive in their lives right now. After all of his worry over the anomalies of previous tests, the growth of Gail's baby had slowed down considerably and the results he was getting were starting to look more normal.

'You mean a busy election right? I'd never put myself under too much stress at the cost of my health' she forced a smile and tried to change the subject that she knew he was going to bring up.

'You know what I'm referring to and unlike your husband, I won't let you hide from it' Matt advised bluntly, not liking how detached his best friend had become and seeing through her calm facade.

'Don't-' Gail started as she pulled away from him, not wanting to get into this right now.

'I won't' Matt said calmly and grabbed her shoulders gently before she could escape, 'I just want you to know that I know what you're doing, and I won't accept you hiding your true feelings just to stop me from worrying'

'I'm not yours to worry about' Gail snapped, unable to hold in her irritation.

'Keep telling yourself that' Matt laughed, unfazed by her strong guard and placed a soft kiss on her lips, then linked his arm in hers and led her out of the room. 'Why did you insist on our examination being in that room?' he asked curiously, changing the subject to get her to relax.

Gail allowed him to lead her down the overly bright hospital corridors slowly, taking comfort in the fact that his presence had such a calming affect on her. Matt was her best friend and almost knew her as well as Lucas did, there was no point in lying to him as he would always sense how she truly felt. They walked in silence for a few minutes, before she sighed and decided to acknowledge his question. 'You want to know why I chose to spend time in the room that my Aunt killed herself?' she asked casually, smiling at his curiosity.

'One would be forgiven for thinking that you're obsessed with death and morbidness' Matt stated, knowing she had an unhealthy curiosity for things that a normal woman of her age would not.

Gail laughed at the comment and placed her hand on his arm linking hers affectionately. 'It has a certain presence...I like that' she answered honestly and rested her head on his shoulder.

Matt disregarded the suspicious onlookers, who were clearly curious at Lucas Buck's wife showing such affection to someone who was not her husband, and led Gail towards the exit. 'Does that Wicca Store of yours have presence too? I am getting concerned with your fascination with such dark things Gail' he advised seriously, hoping her recent obsession with that Wicca Store had nothing to do with her wanting to reconnect with her dead friend.

Gail inhaled deeply when she sensed his thoughts and stroked his arm reassuringly. 'You think I'm going to attempt a seance with Christie?' she asked in disbelief, finally acknowledging her friends current state out loud.

'I'd hope not considering she's not even in the ground yet' Matt joked without thinking, then cursed himself for his insensitivity when he caught the look of sorrow on her face. 'I just meant that you should hold off on locking yourself away for a little while Gail...spend time in the real world with the people who care about you'

Gail let out a deep breath and turned towards him when they reached the exit. 'I'm never alone Matt, at times I wish I was...I know you worry and you need to stop, just leave me be to get through this my way and I'll be fine' she ordered sweetly, then turned towards the steps that led to the sidewalk and began walking away.

'Will we see you later at the church?' Matt asked, then shook his head when she did not acknowledge him and just continued walking down the steps unfazed by the rain. 'It's at 3:30pm Gail...be there!' he called after her, then let out a long exasperated sigh when she just waved back at him non committal and got into her car.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Lucas sat on the grass of the highly populated park with Caleb and Luke, watching his candidate Peter make the rounds. Even though he had coached the man on how to present his family and what to say, he was impressed that he had managed to not screw up this impromptu appearance and the man had followed his instruction perfectly.

After Gail threw down the gauntlet earlier, he had decided to take advantage of her Doctor's appointment and get his candidate out into the public eye before she had a chance to attempt to outshine him. Christie's funeral was still a few hours away so he had commandeered his Son's before his love had a chance to use them to her advantage and they were enjoying a rare break in the clouds whilst relaxing in the park.

'Do you really think this is the best use of our time today?' Caleb sighed, watching the large man Lucas insisted on backing waddle around the park talking to people.

Lucas regarded him irritated for a moment, then picked up Luke and placed him on his knee playfully. 'If you wanna run off and help your Step Mom go right ahead, I'm sure me and my dependable Son can hold down the fort here' he said flatly and held Luke close to his chest to make a point.

Caleb shot Luke a look of jealousy for a moment, then realised what his Father was attempting to do and sat up straight. 'I ain't goin' nowhere, but this is stupid' he advised moodily, then smiled falsely at two women who were clearly trying to get close to his Father and watched disapprovingly as he winked charmingly at them.

Lucas caught sight of Caleb's look and shook his head. 'The women's vote is up for grabs Son, I ain't gonna sit back and get overtaken at the last hurdle'

'Can't you just let her win given what she goin' through?' Caleb asked, confused at why his Father insisted on acting in such an inappropriate way given the circumstances.

Lucas stared at Caleb baffled by his question, then let out a small laugh. It did not even occur to him to go easy on Gail, she would know instantly if he did not give his all in this challenge and would be more angry if he let her win, as opposed to losing fairly. 'You have a lot to learn about women Son' he smiled and patted Caleb on the back when he just stared at him blankly.

'You and him both' Adam advised, as he approached the Buck family with his Daughter in tow and sat down casually on the grass beside them.

Caleb smiled at Emily when she waved at him and shifted towards her slightly, happy for some normal company away from his Father and their drama.

'Is there a reason you're intrudin' on my family time?' Lucas asked Adam suspiciously, not trusting the man's sudden appearance.

'Oh I'm just followin' orders...it's nice to finally be able to take a backseat in this election after pullin' out all the stops for months' Adam smiled pleasantly, disregarding the Sheriff's clear irritation at his presence.

'All the stops in the world ain't gonna win you this election friend, if you bow out now you might just come outta this unscathed' Lucas warned, keeping his tone pleasant in front of the children.

Adam smiled smugly at the Sheriff having to behave around the children and winked at Emily when he spotted her watching them curiously. 'Now why would I bow out when I have a beautiful woman fightin' my corner?' he asked quietly, following Lucas' lead and not alerting the children to the conflict they shared.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief and leaned in close to Adam. 'My wife won't protect you from what I have waitin' when you lose this election' he warned, feeling his disdain for the man before him growing.

'No but she might just win me this election, then you're stuck with me for better or worse' Adam advised smugly, then glanced in the direction that his opposition had been making the rounds.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously for a moment, then glanced in the direction that Adam was staring. 'Ah hell' he sighed in frustration when he spotted Gail making the rounds with the previous Mayor's wife Mary and Loris Holt, then stood up and stormed over to the group.

Caleb caught sight of his Father stand up, then picked up Luke carefully and rushed towards him when he realised he was headed for Gail. He sensed his Father's anger instantly and hoped that he would keep it caged.

Gail sensed Lucas' presence as soon as she had entered the park and knew he would be furious when he spotted her. She had not really intended to take such a hands on approach even though she had threatened it earlier; however, when she realised that her husband had taken her Son's and was parading them around as part of his candidates entourage, she decided it was about time she got her head in the game and what better way than to call on the two most powerful women in this Town apart from her.

Loris spotted Lucas storming across the park, then smiled smugly when his demeanour softened as he entered the crowded area that they were in. 'Mighty fine day for a stroll Sheriff, you run outta work to be able to slack off when you should be on duty?' she asked in a sweet tone.

Gail could not have planned Loris' remark better and smiled when she sensed her husbands rage spike. All she required was for him to make one small mistake for Adam to swoop in to take the votes and Loris had a way of tugging at his strings.

Lucas regarded Mary pleasantly, who was standing behind his wife attempting to keep out of whatever this was, then turned his full attention to Loris. 'You get bored waitin' on your clientele Miss Holt? I thought you'd be workin' hand over fist for the professional men of this Town to keep that Boardin' House of yours in business' Lucas remarked, then smiled devilishly when he saw the look of fury in her eyes.

'You can talk Sheriff, how's Miss Coombs these days? You keepin' her on her toes with your wife bein' heavily pregnant' Loris retorted hurtfully, unlike herself.

'Careful' Gail warned her, not expecting her friend to play into her husbands game so easily and insult her in the crossfire.

'Yeah, careful Miss Holt..you shouldn't attack my wife in her delicate condition' Lucas said loudly and smiled at the women close by who looked disapprovingly at Loris, then leaned in close and whispered in her ear. 'Truth be told, my wife is the one keepin' me on my toes regardless of her condition...if you only knew what twisted things I've got her doin' after you failed in your duties to keep her from me' he goaded.

'Stop it' Gail ordered quietly, sensing where this was going and not wanting Loris to get drawn in.

'I didn't fail to do anythin'' Loris snapped defensively, trying to hide her guilt at how Caleb's and Gail's life had turned out when they had previously been in her care.

'Didn't you? You didn't see fit to warn her about what I am? Or what you know I'm capable of?...Well they're both mine now Loris, I suppose I should thank you for choosin' to keep quiet' Lucas whispered devilishly, then took a step back when he sensed his twin tugging at her emotions and she was about to explode.

'You bastard!' Loris yelled, suddenly feeling a strong rage surge through her. 'You're a tyrant, a user and no woman is safe with you!' she screamed, then spotted the shocked looks of the people around her and knew she had fallen into his trap.

'Now now Miss' Peter stepped in with his polished up family and came to Lucas' aid, 'Lucas Buck is a fine example of a true southern gentlemen, just ask his wife'

Gail closed her eyes in frustration at being forced towards her husbands side in this and shot Loris a disappointed glance, before coming to her husband and taking his hand in hers as she showed her unwavering loyalty. 'I think the strange weather of late has affected someone more than she thought' Gail forced a smile for the crowd around them, signalled for Loris to leave discreetly and linked her arm in Lucas' like the dutiful wife she was.

'I commend your efforts love, but me around Loris Holt is never a stable mix' Lucas whispered in her ear smugly, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately for the crowd.

Gail embraced him as a devoted wife would and allowed him to parade their strong relationship to his townspeople, knowing it was easier for her to allow Loris to appear crazy than to address her statement. 'You think this is all I have up my sleeve?' she whispered in his ear and smiled cunningly when he shot her a suspicious look.

'The clocks tickin' love, I hate to say it but you're gonna need a miracle to pull ahead now' Lucas smiled smugly, then narrowed his eyes distrustfully when she did not address his comment and just smacked his behind playfully for the crowd, then watched as she led Mary towards the other women in the park not knowing what she was planning.

* * *

Billy paced the reception area of the Sheriff's Station anxiously whilst holding his suit, unsure of how he had ended up there. Lucy remained quiet in her pushchair, longing for her Mother and seeing the sorrow of the child only made his anxiety worse.

Ben watched sadly as his friend paced the room aimlessly, wishing he could help ease his grief. His wedding was due in the next month and Rita wanted him to focus all of his attention on making it perfect; however, all he could think about was Billy's and Lucy's loss, not to mention the strange way in which Gail was taking it all after she had found the body with him.

This whole situation was awful and he was annoyed at himself for not being able to help his friends. 'Stop it!' he snapped loudly when he could not watch Billy any longer, then shot Lucy an apologetic look when she began crying at his outburst.

'Ever the gentle soul, ain't you Deputy?' Lucas asked sarcastically as he appeared at the entrance of the corridor which led to his office, holding Luke above his hip.

Ben's eyes grew wide at the comment, then he let out a long sigh when Billy began pacing again. 'Will you do somethin' about that?' he asked Lucas agitated, then went to Lucy and picked her up out of her pushchair when Billy appeared to be disregarding her cries.

Lucas watched Billy curiously, wondering what he was going to do with his apparent broken friend, then smiled when the man caught sight of his presence and approached him warily.

'Is this respectful enough? I don't own anythin' darker' Billy asked in an emotionless tone, trying to sort out the flood of thoughts that were going through his mind.

Lucas regarded the dark brown suit disapprovingly, then saw Billy tense when he took in his reaction.

'It's awful isn't it? I have a child to look after and don't have time to-' Billy started rambling frantically, then took a deep breath when he felt Lucas' strong hand on his shoulder and he steadied his nerves.

'Just breath friend, you gotta trust the man with the star' Lucas said reassuringly and smiled when Luke instinctively leaned on Billy to give him a hug.

Billy closed his eyes when he felt Luke's small hands clamp around his neck and pulled the boy gently to his chest, when his Father nodded his approval. 'What am I gonna do man? I ain't her Father...I just can't do this' he said defeated after a moment of silence, then hung his head low unable to hide his shame.

Ben looked at Lucas with wide eyes and continued to rock Lucy soothingly, he did not envy the position Billy was in and would never blame him if he did decide to give Lucy up.

Lucas was not used to dealing with such matters after he had lost control and was beginning to feel agitated with it all. If Billy decided to give Lucy away, he truly had no idea how Gail would react; however, he suspected it would not be kindly. 'What you're gonna do is come to my place and we'll find an appropriate suit for you, so you can do your girl proud' Lucas advised reassuringly, sensing the best course of action was to change the focus. 'Everythin' else will be here tomorrow, but the send off takes priority and I know you wanna do right by her'

Billy took in a a deep breath and shook his head at the state of his life, he was about to continue on with his rant when Luke smacked him playfully on the cheek and he smiled at the oblivious boy that he was holding. 'Alright...everythin' will be here tomorrow' he sighed, clinging on to Luke as though he was his anchor.

Ben let out a relieved breath and nodded approvingly at Lucas' suggestion. 'I'll take this little one to Matt, he might still have some clothes of hers that may be appropriate. You guy's go do whatever you need and I'll see you there' he said forcing a calm tone, for once happy that Lucas had taken control.

Lucas sensed Ben's relief and led Billy out of the Sheriff's Station. 'Do me a favour Benji, if you come across Gail make sure you send her to me...This one ain't the only wild card floatin' around Town right now' he requested, then headed towards his car to help Billy get a hold of himself.

* * *

Gail leaned on the wooden Pier railing sipping a large latte, as she listened to the townspeople around her discussing the election. Much to her annoyance, Peter's intervention of Loris attacking Lucas' reputation had played wonders with the gossip mongers of the Town and word was spreading about how the oaf had came to the rescue. The thought of her or Lucas having to be defended by such a dim witted man was so ludicrous that it made her laugh out loud in frustration, she was allowing this election to slip through her fingers and she was running out of time to help get the right result.

'The mighty Mrs Buck needing to be defended by an overweight oaf, I bet that's made you feel all warm and cosy inside' Selena mocked, as she approached her once nemesis and leaned on the railing beside her uninvited.

Gail looked up at the dark clouds in the sky in exasperation, then shook her head at allowing Selena to get so close without sensing her. 'That was orchestrated when my ace in the hole faltered' she said bitterly and took a long sip of her coffee.

'Well obviously' Selena laughed, then leaned in closer to Gail. 'You know, Miss Holt is very highly regarded in this Town and I can appreciate why you believed that she would be an ally in pulling votes to your cause, but I truly thought you understood the way of Trinity by now Gail...these things aren't won by fair competition'

Gail let out a long sigh at the comment and turned her full attention towards Selena. 'Do you think I'm stupid?' she asked outwardly, not appreciating the woman's insinuation.

'I think you're distracted by recent event's, even if you're choosing to hide from them' Selena whispered knowingly and placed her hand on Gail's back gently, to give the old biddies something real to gossip about.

Gail let Selena's words sink in and allowed her to touch her in a friendly manner. It would cause Lucas more grief than her if people thought they were friends; therefore, she did not oppose the move. 'You think I'd open up to you of all people when all of my family and friends have tried to get me to talk about the so called recent events?' she asked in disbelief, linking her arm in Selena's and leading her further down the Pier away from the nosy residents.

'I couldn't care less about whether you talk about her, I'm happy to go about my business never hearing that name again...I was just shocked to see you here on your own in your heavily pregnant state, knowing what's taking place in an hour and with the voting commencing today' Selena shrugged and stared out into the water curiously.

'Don't tell me you're concerned about me Miss Coombs?' Gail asked sarcastically.

Selena laughed and shook her head. 'God no, I'm just bored and have no one to play with until after 4:30pm today' she smiled cattily, then tensed slightly when she felt Gail's grip on her arm tighten.

'You leave him alone Selena, he's not yours to play with' Gail warned, knowing who she was referring to and continuing to lead Selena further away from the crowded Pier.

Selena sensed the shift in Gail and tried to force her feet to stop walking; however, her body was not responding. 'I think it's time for me to go-' she started, not wanting to be around Gail when her dual personality was starting to show.

'You know what? I used to get bored all of the time and constantly used to get myself in some sort of trouble, but Christie always managed to bail out. It must be hard going through life without someone who truly cares about what happens to you, I mean if you were to go missing who would even notice?' Gail asked coldly, smelling Selena's fear and savouring it.

Selena glanced over at Gail and took in a sharp intake of breath when she spotted something dark cross over her eyes. 'There are people who'd look-'

'No there aren't, not really' Gail interrupted in a sweet tone and started to lead Selena down a path that travelled closer to the river.

'But there are-' Selena tried to reason.

'Nah...I can get Billy's attention away from you easily enough and all the other men you open your legs for have their own families to be concerned with. They wouldn't give a damn either way, until they wanted their end wet I suppose' Gail laughed cruelly and let out a long relaxed breath when they got closer to the rough water, which fascinated her so much.

'Gail stop...please' Selena pleaded, trying to summon up some strength to break free of the woman's grasp; however, failing miserably and continuing to be led effortlessly.

Gail grinned maliciously, feeling her darkness flow through her veins as her urge to release her pent up feelings engulfed her and choosing to allow it to take her attention away from the impending funeral of her oldest friend. She supposed this was why she could not truly be mad at Lucas, she herself was spiralling out of control and it was just as hard for her to show restraint as it was for him.

When they got to the edge of the water, her grin widened as she saw Rosemary's hand reach up out of the middle of the river expectantly. Lighting candles was not the only thing Lucas' Mother's journal had taught her, she had found a way to connect further with her past self and she was looking forward to seeing what she had in store for the woman before her.

'Gail?!' Ben called loudly from the Pier, when he spotted Gail and Selena wandering close to the water.

Gail let out a frustrated breath when she heard her name and released her control of Selena, allowing the woman to take a few cautious steps away from her. Ben was one of the few people in this Town that she truly cared for and could never be mad at him for interrupting her.

Without hesitation, Gail turned back towards the Pier and stared at Selena curiously. 'You know what? I think there is something that you could do for me which may warrant me taking notice if you were ever to disappear' she stated casually, as she linked Selena's arm again as though nothing had happened and began walking back up to the Pier towards Ben.

Selena felt her body trembling and did not know what to make of Gail's sudden warm demeanour, she sensed that she had luckily escaped something truly awful and decided to not to tempt fate. 'W-whatever you want' she stuttered quietly, not wanting to anger the apparent sweet woman beside her and feeling her body become cold.

Gail sensed Selena's fear and patted the woman's arm gently, then leaned in closer. 'Don't look so worried, this should be fun for you' she whispered mischievously into Selena's ear and led her back towards the populated Pier where she would remain safe for her past self.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas sat agitated at the front of the Church with Luke and Caleb watching the entrance, it was 3:35pm and his love was nowhere to be found. He had managed to ensure the pews were filled with people Christie had come across while she had been in Trinity, believing the least he could do was make sure that she had a good send off; however, the one person he was putting this show on for had decided not to grace them with her presence.

The Reverend shifted impatiently behind his podium in front of Christie's coffin, then made a move to start addressing the room; however, he quickly stepped back when Lucas shot him a look which dared him to start without his say so and began searching the area for something to look at other than the Sheriff. This situation was beginning to frustrate Lucas, he had not actually believed Gail would miss her oldest friends funeral and he was starting to become really concerned with her state of mind.

'You didn't think it was worth escorting your heavily pregnant wife here, to ensure she was handling everything OK?' Matt whispered from behind Lucas judgmentally, as though reading his mind.

Lucas let out a frustrated sigh and shot Matt a look of warning, before getting up and heading out of the Church, so not to direct his anger at the one person outside of their family that he would not be forgiven for hurting.

* * *

Gail sat in her stationary blood red Mustang with both hands and her head resting on the steering wheel. The traffic lights in front of her turned to green on the quiet street; however, she was oblivious and just sat there in front of the lights with her eyes closed, listening to the rain gently hitting her windscreen.

She had been driving around Town in a haze after leaving Selena and Ben, she could not even face returning to the Wicca Store and found herself wanting to be alone with her thoughts. It occurred to her that she was never actually alone while she had her Daughter growing inside of her, the silver lining with the current situation was that it had caused her to put her concern for her Daughter to one side and focus her energy on honing her skills.

'At least someone's managed to benefit from my death, I doubt my Daughter will reap any of the rewards now that she's alone in this God forsaken place' Christie said bitterly, appearing suddenly in the back seat of the car.

Gail's eyes shot open wide and she lifted her head slightly so she could check the rearview mirror. 'You've gotta be kidding me' she said in disbelief and placed her head in her hands sadly.

'No joke's bestie, it appears I'm still stuck here even in death...how thrilling' Christie sighed and watched uninterested as a car beeped at the stationary Mustang, then swerved around it.

Gail had no idea what was going on or why she was suddenly seeing her dead friend. Given her strange turn on Selena earlier she decided that she had finally snapped.

'I don't think you're there quite yet Gail. Although given what I've seen since I passed, which is a victory in itself considering my eyes were taken from me, I think you're coming close' Christie smiled grimly at her friend, noting how pale she had turned.

Gail's mouth dropped open at the comment and she was about to answer her dead friend when she heard a gentle tap on her drivers side window, then tensed as she glanced up at the familiar figure standing outside and started rolling down the window slowly.

'Uh-oh, the handcuff's are coming out now' Christie joked and leaned back casually in the backseat of the car, disregarding Gail's unease.

Lucas regarded his wife suspiciously, concerned at the worried look on her face then let out a long exasperated sigh when the heaven's opened and torrential rain poured down on him. He suspected the temperamental weather of late was down to his love's frequent mood swings; however, he would have hoped she could have held it in for a little while longer, at least until he was under cover.

Gail sensed Lucas' irritation as he stood still in the pouring rain allowing his black suit to get soaked, and stared up at him apologetically. She suspected that there would have been a strong reaction if he could hear Christie howling with laughter in her backseat and as no reaction came, she took in a deep breath and tried to drown out her dead friend so not to cause her husband any further suspicion.

Lucas saw her demeanour soften and reached through the open window, then stroked her arm tenderly. 'I get this is hard for you and you may be strugglin', so I'm gonna disregard my current soaked state. Now pull over into a parkin' bay, get out of the car and let's get this show on the road so you can finally put this matter to rest' he ordered calmly.

Gail did not have the strength to challenge him when all of her energy was focused on her howling dead friend behind her, who appeared to have made herself laugh so hard that she had fallen off the seat; therefore, Gail just nodded obediently and pulled into the Church parking lot which was just passed the traffic lights she was sat at.

Lucas let out a relieved sigh when Gail did as he had instructed and headed back towards the Church, wanting to get Christie out of their lives once and for all.

* * *

A dull hush filled the Church as the people occupying the crowded pews fell silent when the Reverend finally began the funeral service. The room was populated by people Christie worked with, people she had come across on more than one occasion when looking for a story and the people she had become close to in her time here in Trinity. To onlookers it would appear as though the woman was well loved and popular amongst her peers; however, to someone who truly knew her like Gail, the room was filled with strangers who never really knew her friend at all.

Lucas watched his wife closely as she remained calm and collected throughout the service, the touching words from the Reverend were lost on him; however, he thought they may have brought some comfort to his wife.

'Look at him, not a care about anything else but you. God forbid he spare a thought for the young girl who's Mother he ripped away so abruptly' Christie said bitterly, with her arms folded as she leaned against the casket watching her own funeral.

Gail took hold of Lucas' hand defensively, waiting for him to acknowledge her dead friends comment; however, he just rested his head on hers softly and stroked her arm affectionately.

'It looks like it's just you and me bestie, just like old times before our lives got tangled in this cursed place' Christie smiled sadly and stared out into the pews filled with strangers.

Gail felt as though she was going crazy, she closed her eyes tight willing her dead friend to disappear then let out a sharp gasp when she opened her eyes and she was stood next to Christie facing the attendees of the service. Her mouth dropped open slightly when she stared at herself being comforted by Lucas, then shook her head at how easy it was for him to control her.

'It's a shame really, you used to have a kind of fire in you that I coveted. The great Gail Emory, champion of the innocent...now look at you, subconsciously clinging to the man who murdered your oldest friend for comfort' Christie sighed and began pacing the podium that the Reverend was speaking from.

'He didn't murder you-' Gail started defensively.

'No he didn't rip my eyes out with his own fingers, but I now know what he truly is and the birds were undoubtedly his' Christie interrupted, not having the patience for her best friends denial.

Gail felt her rage building within her and did not take her eyes off of her husband. She was not naive and knew the wild crow attack was just a cover story, how could she not? She had Gideon, he had first made his presence known when Matt was on day release from Juniper and she felt the connection instantly with her protector. The crows were Lucas, of course they were, they were everywhere allowing him to see what he needed and this was not the first time that they were linked to her husband in a vicious way.

Lucas shifted in his seat uncomfortably and felt a sudden urge to survey the room, he glanced to the left of the coffin and his eyes rested on the empty space there, sensing something was not as it seemed.

Gail's eyes met her husbands and she held his gaze, sensing he knew something was wrong. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and reached down instinctively, then let out a slow breath.

'You knew what he was when you gave yourself over to him didn't you?' Christie asked judgmentally, appearing suddenly at the side of her friend and staring down at her stomach with bitterness in her eyes.

'And what is he Christie?' Gail asked flatly, feeling his gaze bore into her as he tried to figure out what he was looking at.

'Evil, pure unadulterated evil' Christie stated, then turned her attention to the man who had taken her life.

Gail sensed her dead friends hatred for her husband and laughed at her disdain. 'He warned you more than once, he put up with your constant digs and threats, then held on as long as his control would allow him. How can you call a man evil when you backed him into a corner and the threat against his family caused him to lash out?' she asked casually.

Christie turned back towards Gail and stared at her confused. 'There was no threat to his family-' she started.

'You didn't intend to bring something to the public eye which could have resulted in him being split from his family? A dangerous man who even I warned you about continuously pocking turned on you when you threatened to expose him, for doing something to protect me by the way, and I'm supposed to feel guilty about loving him?' Gail asked in disbelief, trying not to allow her grief to turn her against her husband.

Christie let out a loud laugh and shook her head. 'You really are lost aren't you? He's corrupted you and taken away all of your goodness, but you can't even see that can you? He killed me Gail?!' she screamed angrily, then grabbed Gail's shoulders and began shaking her.

'You killed yourself' Lucas whispered from behind Christie, as he placed a rose on top of the closed casket and held in his anger at the meddling woman's appearance.

Gail felt herself being jerked back violently and opened her eyes to find herself sitting casually on the front pew. She took in a sharp intake of breath when her eyes focused on Lucas at the head of the line of people queuing up to place a rose on Christie's casket and could not feel her friends presence any longer. Gail jumped when she felt a soft hand rest on her shoulder, then let out a relieved sigh when Matt sat down beside her.

'We don't have to go up there, you and I will just keep away from the performance' Matt whispered, watching the group of unknown people in disgust and pulling his best friend closer to him.

Gail rested her head on Matt's shoulder, sensing his true love for her and allowed him to wrap his arm around her. She spotted Lucas staring at them disapprovingly and knew he was not happy at her hiding Christie's sudden appearance; however, her rage was stirring up inside of her and right now she did not even want to look at the man who had put her in this situation.

* * *

Lucas walked casually around Jimmy's Bar which he had hired for Christie's wake, addressing his townspeople charmingly. He had expected people to return to their usual routine's after the funeral and thought the wake would be a more intimate setting for Christie's close friends; however, it appeared his townspeople felt the need to continue showing their condolences and he supposed it made Christie look more popular than she actually was.

Gail watched her husband work the room with disdain, then let out a small laugh and reached for a glass of wine that had mistakenly been placed on her table. She was about to take a large sip wanting nothing more than to dull out the absurdity of this occasion, when she felt a strong hand grasp her wrist and gently pull the glass away from her lips.

'Come on Gail, you know better than that' Billy sighed, as he situated himself on the chair beside her and downed the glass of wine that he had taken from her without hesitation.

Gail stared at Billy furiously for a moment, then forced herself to relax as she knew he was right and she could not drink in her current condition. 'You not making the rounds with my husband?' she asked sarcastically, 'It'll do wonders for your popularity appearing as her life partner'

Billy regarded Lucas distastefully, then shook his head and let out a small laugh. 'I wasn't her husband and I'm not the man she would've wanted for life' he shrugged sadly.

'No, you're the man who took another women to her bed the night before her funeral' Gail said flatly, unable to hide the judgement from her tone.

Billy stared at her wide eyed for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and continued to survey the room. 'That wasn't my intention at the time-'

'But it's what happened and with Selena Coombs of all people' Gail interrupted, feeling a dull pounding in her head as she struggled to keep her rage in check in this awful situation.

Billy inhaled deeply and tried to push down his guilt. He had not intended to sleep with Selena, she had just been there when he craved some intimacy and it had been nice to work out his frustration with the situation he had found himself in.

'I doubt Christie would've found it nice to be replaced so easily' Gail said hurtfully, unable to keep her opinion to herself after reading his thoughts.

Billy stood up abruptly and pushed his chair behind him forcefully. He was about the address the hurtful comment angrily when he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder and he regained control of his emotions.

'Now, now love, I don't think it's appropriate to push a grieving man when he's just laid his other half down to rest' Lucas said calmly, not wanting to bring anymore attention to the pair than they already had.

Gail felt her rage fly to the surface, then took a deep breath in an attempt to remain civil while they were in public. 'The man wasn't grieving last night when Selena allowed him to get his end wet, so I doubt he's truly grieving now' Gail retorted quietly, then stood up carefully and headed towards her Uncle Abe who was keeping the children occupied.

Lucas held her gaze while she passed him, then let out an exasperated sigh. 'She doesn't mean it-'

'She's just hurtin', I know' Billy snapped, then sat back down and placed his face in his hands to drown out the room.

Lucas pulled the chair Gail had been sitting on towards his friend, then sat down and pulled Billy's hand away from his face sharply. 'You wanna wallow in your self pity over a woman who was more interested in me than you? Or do you wanna be a man and get on with your life?' he asked abruptly, struggling to keep up his caring facade for such a prolonged period of time.

Billy stared into Lucas' eyes confused at his sudden change, then let out a loud laugh when he realised his friends true colours were starting to shine through. 'Careful friend, you wouldn't want your townspeople to realise how truly happy you are about Christie's death' he said knowingly, then downed the glass of bourbon that the waitress had placed in front of him.

Lucas regarded Billy carefully for a moment, not sure whether he was impressed by the man's brazen comment or offended. 'You might wanna slow down there Billy-boy, your mouth's startin' to spout things your courage won't allow you to follow through with' he said quietly, amused.

Billy rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. 'I thought we were passed this game of ours Lucas, or do you still view me as an adversary?' he asked bluntly.

Lucas let out a small laugh and leaned in closer. 'Oh you were never an adversary Billy, you were barely even worth my attention-'

'So what am I then?' Billy snapped angrily, truly not knowing where he stood in life.

Lucas sensed the man's emotions spiralling out of control and found himself curious as to what would happen if he pushed him over the edge; however, a sudden sharp pain surged through his chest and he shook his head in exasperation. 'I guess you're my friend' he admitted reluctantly, then stood up to get away from the uncomfortable moment and headed towards Ben who was much easier to deal with.

Billy narrowed his eyes at Lucas as he left him alone, then felt a small smile cross his lips at the realisation of what the man had admitted and decided to focus on that rather than the thought of never seeing Christie again.

'It's amazing how your husband manages to turn everything in his favour isn't it?' Christie asked Gail, as she stood behind her friend while she was holding her Son gently in her arms and watched Billy with sadness in her eyes.

Gail tensed when she heard her dead friends voice and tried to focus on Luke, who instinctively wrapped his arms tight around her neck when he felt her demeanour change. She noticed he was staring behind her curiously and started to wonder whether he could see Christie, then felt concerned that her dead friend was more than just something she could see.

'Look at him, working the room and turning my boyfriends attention towards him rather than me. It's just unreal how he can whisper in someone's ear and they fall all over themselves to impress him' Christie continued to ponder out loud, ignoring the concern she sensed coming from her friend.

Gail turned to Abe and smiled at him warmly, when she spotted he had noticed Luke's attention was behind her. She stroked Abe's shoulder reassuringly to show she was alright, then stood up carefully with Luke and slowly wandered towards a quiet corner of the room.

'Is that what he did to you Gail? Whisper sweet nothings in your ear and watched as your heart melted before him?' Christie asked sarcastically, following behind her then leaning against the wall beside her when she settled.

Gail could not contain her laughter at the question and glanced around the room to ensure she was not being watched. 'There was no melting of hearts or loving whispers, our unions were more fierce and hard. I suppose the enjoyment of how we hurt each other played a big part, he's like nothing I've ever experienced before and it's so intense' she pondered, as though having a conversation with her dead friend was the most natural thing in the world.

'So he played towards how damaged you are?' Christie asked, unable to believe her friend had allowed herself to be consumed by a man so dark.

'We're both damaged, that's the point' Gail advised Christie and smiled at Luke sweetly when he stared up at her curiously.

'You can't be as damaged as him, the man is a sociopath' Christie stated in disbelief of her loyalty to Lucas.

'The man is an Adonis and a mystery, but he's mine' Gail said affectionately as she spotted him speaking to Ben, then turned her full attention toward Christie. 'I warned you to drop it, you know I'm not stupid and wouldn't go into something blind. Why didn't you just trust me? If you would've listened none of this would've happened' she said sadly.

Christie stared deep into her friends eyes, then let out a long sigh when she realised the truth of her words. 'I couldn't just stand back and allow injustice Gail' she said finally.

'Had you have suspected I killed people, would you have gunned for me too?' Gail asked quietly, knowing there was no need to hide anything from her any more.

Christie regarded her cautiously for a moment, then shook her head. 'Anything you've done has been done out of love Gail' she advised, placing a gently hand on her friends shoulder.

Gail laughed at how accepting Christie was of her confession and shook her head at her friends instinct to blame Lucas for what she had done. 'Nothing was done out of love, it was done out of need. I'm not what you think and I need you to go now...I'm losing my mind Christie and I don't want you around if my control slips'

The sound of a glass being hit gently with a metal utensil caught both women's attention and they stared towards the front of the bar. 'You've got to be kidding' Christie said angrily and folded her arms over her chest as Lucas addressed the room.

'Speaking of someone who had a few run ins with Christie, I feel it's only right that we give her a good send off-' Lucas started, wanting to get this matter put to rest once and for all.

Gail felt her barrier drop instantly when Lucas began his speech and felt Luke pulling her hair to get her attention, sensing she had snapped. Her eyes became glazed as she lost all coherent thought and she walked across the room to place Luke in Abe's safe care, then approached her husband slowly and shook her head in warning.

Lucas spotted Gail and sensed the change in her; however, he had already started this speech to enable Billy to finish up here and he could not stop now. 'Christie was loved by a lot of people, my beautiful wife included' he advised and pointed towards Gail proudly.

Gail felt the eyes on her and knew that she was supposed to perform for the monkeys in the room; however, she had finally lost all control and was unable to bring herself back to her usual self.

The thought of Lucas giving the final speech at Christie's wake had sent her over the edge and she could not handle this charade any longer; therefore, she gave him one last dark look, then headed out of the bar and towards her car with dark images circling through her mind.

Lucas watched her leave and wanted to go to her; however, he was Lucas Buck and all eyes were on him, no woman would control his actions. Lucas spotted Abe's judgemental look, then smiled charmingly at the room before him and continued with his speech. His wife just needed some time to come to terms with what had happened and some time alone would do her good.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Selena Coombs sat in her bright yellow sports car outside the dingy Motel she frequently visited, pondering over the state of her life. She did not usually believe herself to be a bad person, or a whore as most women liked to refer to her; however, as she felt the wet lips of Lucas' candidate for Mayor suck on her neck, she began to consider the possibility that she may not be who she thought she was.

Selena thought herself as a loyal creature, all she had ever wanted to do was please the men in her life and she had excelled on every account; however, in the end they always discarded her for someone more pure or socially acceptable. No matter what she did or where she went, her life always came back to Lucas Buck. Her current predicament was not directly down to him, but it was close enough seen as she was doing this upon his wife's instruction.

It had not been hard to persuade Peter to come with her, upon reflection she realised there had been no persuasion required at all. This apparent devoted family man had been out for lunch when she spotted him in the bakery, all it took was a brush of her hand on his and he was following her out like a starved puppy waiting for scraps. This had not been one of Selena's finer moments, she realised that now as the mans stumpy hand ran up her leg and underneath her skirt. For the first time that she could remember, she did not want to give herself over so easily and she felt sick.

Peters loud aroused grunt took her away from her thoughts, causing her to lean back and roll her eyes at her current position. She felt a strong urge to call this off and was about to act on her instinct when she spotted the blood red Mustang parked at the far end of the parking lot, then took a deep breath and pushed Peter off of her. 'Here, take these' she instructed and handed him the keys to the Motel room she had gotten for them. 'You go in and get warmed up for me, I just need a minute' she smiled seductively, then watched him rush into the Motel room and got out of her car.

Selena glanced around the parking lot curiously as she sauntered over to Gail Buck's unmistakable car. There were two other vehicles abandoned at the far side of the place and she hoped whoever occupied the rooms were having more fun than she was right now. As she reached the Mustang, she noticed Gail had exited the vehicle and was leaning against the bonnet casually, radiant as always in her pregnant state. She wanted to dislike the woman but she always found herself drawn to her, especially when her pureness was overtaken by some questionable behaviour.

'You're taking longer to work than I expected...giving Peter his money's worth?' Gail asked sarcastically, as she stared at the ground floor Motel room that Selena had opted for.

Selena was struck harder than she could have imagined by the comment and felt a sudden pang of shame, it was not like her to take a women's catty comment so personally; however, this one had hit her hard. 'I thought you'd want me to put on a good show, to keep him away from his innocent wife a little longer. You're welcome to take over if you think you can complete this task more efficiently Mrs Buck' she snapped cattily, trying to disguise her shame.

Gail sensed that her comment had hurt Selena and took a deep breath in an attempt to control her emotions, as that had not been her intention. 'You're working perfectly Miss Coomb's, A+ all around...I just don't want that dim witted ass to get more enjoyment than is absolutely necessary' she advised softly, staring at the Motel door with disdain.

Selena followed her glance and spotted the dark look in Gail's eyes, she did not know what she had against this man apart from him running against her candidate and the request she had put on her seemed a little harsh.

'Are you having second thoughts Selena?' Gail asked, reading her mind effortlessly.

'Is it so hard to believe that I don't want to open my legs for a meaningless encounter?' Selena asked bitterly.

Gail sensed her shame and her longing of some true intimacy, then reached out to grab her hand and gently pulled her towards her so their faces were only an inch apart. 'Would you open your legs for a meaningless encounter with me?' she asked teasingly, sensing Selena's true desires and allowing her darkness to take over.

Selena inhaled deeply at their closeness and allowed Gail to trail her fingers up her bare arms softly, causing her to shiver. She looked deep into the eyes of the woman she previously believed was her nemesis and a warm feeling flowed through her. 'I don't need your games Gail, I said I'd do this' she advised, trying to keep control of her senses.

A small smile crossed Gail's face and she leaned forward, then pressed her lips softly on Selena's. Right now she did not care who was watching, she just sensed the woman's longing to be truly wanted and was happy to oblige while she was doing her a favour. When Selena's lips parted, Gail pushed her tongue in gently and let it dance around Selena's mouth slowly. She wondered what Lucas would make of this and the thought of him missing out on watching her dominate the woman who did his bidding for so long amused her, as she knew how turned on he would be.

Selena felt a warm sensation between her legs and reached up to caress Gail, unintentionally stroking her large stomach. Usually she would feel a hatred for the woman carrying a child of Lucas Bucks; however, Gail had a way of making those feelings disappear and they were replaced with a strong urge to please her.

'I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do' Gail whispered in her ear reassuringly, as she took Selena face in her hands and ran her thumb over her lips softly.

Selena turned her cheek into Gail's hand and regarded her seriously. 'You really need this done?' she asked quietly, trying to not think about the man waiting for her.

'I do, but I need you to want it rather than it being forced...I am not my husband' Gail advised honestly, trailing her hands back down Selena's arms and holding her hands in hers tight.

Selena nodded obediently, then turned to look at the Motel room and started walking towards it with purpose.

'Just enough to make it count' Gail called after her, amused at own powers of persuasion.

'Just enough' Selena repeated obediently, then took a deep breath as she neared the room.

* * *

Lucas sat next to Abe and drank his large glass of whiskey, whilst watching Luke pull playfully at his oldest friends hair. He had been concerned with Abe's health not so long ago and did not want to think about how Gail would have reacted if his friend continued to deteriorate; however, Luke appeared to brighten up the old fool and watching them interact was amusing.

'You keep tuggin' on my hair like that and I'll end up like that Deputy over there!' Abe exclaimed as he pointed at Ben, then smiled when Luke giggled happily.

'That hair line was there by age 20, I'd say you're doin' just fine' Lucas laughed and stroked Luke's back affectionately.

'Speakin' of doin' fine, how's my Rosie holdin' up?' Abe asked Lucas and watched his friends reactions carefully.

Lucas inhaled deeply at the question, knowing that his wife's brief appearance at her friends wake would not continue to go unnoticed and shrugged casually. 'She's dealin' with it her way and I'm just lettin' her get on with it' he advised, tickling Luke's back when his boy tried to struggle away from Abe.

'She saw the body boy, you think seein' her oldest friends empty eye sockets can be dealt with by just lettin' her get on with it?' Abe asked in disbelief, remembering how easily his Rosie had described the state she found Christie's body in and knowing that was not a healthy reaction to what she had seen.

Lucas laughed and shook his head in exasperation. 'You think it's easy ol' man? That woman is like a pregnant lion and I ain't gonna be the one who gets devoured when she finally blows for being prodded'

Abe let out a small laugh and nodded, he understood exactly how Lucas felt as he had noticed her short fuse for the past month. 'She should be here Lucas, she needs to grieve properly' he advised finally and shifted Luke to a sitting position on his knee.

'I'm sure she's greivin' just fine right now in her own way' Lucas reassured him, then let out a long sigh when he was unable to sense Gail's location.

* * *

Selena closed her eyes at the foul sweaty stench that filled her nostrils when Peter undressed, he kept trying to paw at her excitedly; however, she focused on what Gail had said and gave him just enough to peak his excitement, undressing slowly to allow him to take in her toned figure.

Peter began drooling at the goddess in front of him, he loved his wife dearly; however, he could resist his urges to be with other women and this one in particular was the most exotic specimen he had ever had the opportunity of being with. 'I wanna touch you' he advised hoarsely, unable to hide his arousal.

'All in good time. I want to see you touch yourself' Selena smiled seductively, doing well to hide how repulsed she was and hoping he would actually tire himself out.

Peter had not serviced himself in front of a woman before and felt a strange shame at the request. He was about to try to complete her request when a sudden aroused urge came over him, which caused him to reach for her and pull her roughly down on the bed.

Selena inhaled deeply at her failed attempt to get him to satisfy himself and forced a smile when he pawed at her body, she tried not to inhale his foul musk and allowed him to turn her over into his desired position. The only saving grace for her now was that she would not have to look at his face while he had his way with her.

Peter slapped his small hard manhood against his goddesses behind proudly, then went to push inside of her. Suddenly a strong breeze travelled through the room and his attention was drawn to the open door, where Gail Buck stood holding a mobile telephone in front of her face.

'Smile for the camera' Gail laughed and took a picture of the questionable position her husbands horse had found himself in, managing to block out Selena's face.

Peter felt the woman underneath him move quickly and he froze. For a second he could not remember where he was, then suddenly he realised and instinctively reached for his boxer shorts.

'Just enough?' Selena laughed in disbelief of what she had just avoided and thankful for the intervention.

'Just enough' Gail winked and placed the mobile telephone in her bag securely. 'I guess you're not the family man my husband marketed you to be' she said to Peter and smiled when she saw the confused look in his eyes.

Peter did not know what was going on, then his mind became clear at the mention of the Sheriff and he panicked. He realised it was very important for him to get that picture, not for the sake of his family but to not let down Lucas Buck. As though possessed he jumped up and ran for the Sheriff's heavily pregnant wife, reaching frantically for her bag. Suddenly he felt something sharp pierce the skin of his gut and he backed up cautiously, then fell back onto the floor in agony.

Selena had put on her dress and turned around just in time to see Peter fly at Gail, she let out a shocked gasp when a small knife appeared in Gail's hand and Peter ran straight into it.

Gail watched as Peter stumbled backwards holding the open wound in his gut which was gushing blood, then shook her head slowly. 'Oh look, it appears attacking a helpless pregnant woman isn't the smartest thing to do' she said sarcastically, then knelt down and slowly pushed the knife into Peters chest four times.

Selena watched with wide eyes as Gail continued to push the knife in and out of the bleeding man on the floor, then took a step back towards the bathroom feeling a strong urge to run.

'Have you stopped wanting to help me Selena?' Gail asked sweetly, not taking her eyes off of the large man bleeding out onto the Motel room carpet and disregarding Christie's sudden judgemental appearance behind her.

Selena had witnessed Lucas' turns on a number of occasions and this was very similar. She sensed Gail was not aiming this bad turn at her and could probably get away easily without it coming back on her; however, the intimate exchange they had shared earlier gave Selena a strange sense of loyalty and she knew it would be difficult for Gail to lift the man up on her own.

'Just like Thelma and Louise' Gail smiled devilishly, sensing Selena's thoughts and allowing her darkness to flood freely through her veins.

'But with Thelma married to our sociopath Sheriff should the law come a knockin'' Selena said in her best southern drawl and decided that she was all in, seen as she had finally been included fully.

* * *

Peter groaned in the backseat of the Mustang as he came in and out of consciousness, there was nothing going through his brain except the excruciating pain that he found himself in. He could feel the blood draining out of him and it was taking all of his strength to try to keep pressure on his wound, while he was being transported to a hospital which he assumed was where Mrs Buck was taking him.

'Do you ever wonder what's going through their mind when they're in such a state of pain?' Selena asked nonchalantly, as she stared over her shoulder at Peter while she occupied the front passenger seat.

'I have to say that this particular scenario is something I'm not familiar with, so I'm going to have to say no it's not something I've wondered previously' Gail said sarcastically and kept her focus on the road.

Selena just shrugged at the comment and continued to monitor Peter with a child like curiosity, the mans current state reminded her of Rafael Santo who she had grown close to before Gail returned to Trinity. She remembered how good it felt for him to be inside of her and the intense passion he brought out of her, causing her to bite off his tongue in a fit of passion. Rafael had behaved much like Peter was now, rolling around slowly unable to call out due to the pain. She thought back to him with a sadness she had been unable to shift and slouched back in her seat.

'Remind me when this is all over that we need to have a serious conversation about your treatment of men Selena' Gail said sternly, unable to block Selena's thoughts from her mind and feeling disgusted at the information she had become privy too.

Selena stared at Gail with wide eyes for a moment, not thinking she had spoken out loud and feeling slightly ashamed, then remembered they were in Gail's car with the man she had stabbed repeated and relaxed. 'You're going to judge me right now?' she asked in disbelief.

Gail shot Selena a look of confusion, then remembered she had no right to have an opinion of what Selena got up to considering the situation they were in. 'I just think you need to learn to respect yourself and maybe find a more appropriate way to show any intense erotic feelings that you may have' she explained calmly.

'I did learn from my mistakes...Lucas takes punishment very seriously, as I'm sure you're familiar with by now' Selena smirked, remembering how mad he had been due to her actions.

Gail inhaled deeply and let out a long breath, as she remembered finding Rafael and how upset Caleb had been. She had suspected Lucas was involved with what happened at the time and really did not need the confirmation right now.

'Oh, he didn't tell you what we got up to when we were together did he?' Selena asked provokingly, unable to stop herself from bating the woman before her.

Gail let out a small laugh to hide her irritation and shook off her instinct to bite back. 'Believe it or not, you don't come into our conversation' she forced a smile, attempting to remain calm.

'That's a shame, if I knew he had opened up a little I could fill in all of the blanks that bothered you when you first came to Trinity' Selena advised casually, then stared out of her passenger side window and pondered over where they may be going.

Gail glanced at Selena curiously, this was the first time she had ever offered to provide some clarification on past events and there were so many unanswered questions that still bothered her. She was about to engage further when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach which caused her attention to turn back towards the road, and she spotted the discrete opening in the trees that she had been searching for.

Selena shot Gail a confused look when she slowed down, then brought the car to a halt in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. 'You having second thoughts about whatever this is?' she asked cautiously, not knowing what she had agreed to be an accomplish to and suddenly doubting her decision to show her acceptance of such a criminal act.

Gail remained silent for a moment as she stared at the clearing in the trees intently, then turned towards Selena and flashed a wicked grin. 'You need to learn to trust in the same sex. I'm very loyal Selena and I've just lost my oldest friend, so don't intend to lose another...I won't abandon you providing you remain loyal to me always' she said seriously and watched Selena's reaction carefully.

Selena had never trusted women, she had a spout a few years ago where she nearly became close to Gail; however, she ruined that by making a move on Lucas and thus screwing up any semblance of a comfortable life for herself. She meant what she had said earlier, she did always learn from her mistakes and she would not allow herself to screw up again. 'If you want me to loyal we have to be all in Gail' she advised without hesitation, needing something in her life that she could truly hold on to no matter the consequence. 'We're way too pretty for prison' she advised, concerned that Gail's conscience might return to her and cause issues.

Gail regarded her suspiciously for a moment then leaned forward and kissed her lips softly, caressing her cheek when she pulled away from the intimate exchange. 'You know, there was a time Christie asked me to go all in with her when we were drunk up in Toronto. I suspected she was that way inclined years before, but she would never admit it and that was the only time she showed her true feelings for me...Had I have jumped all in back then, my life would have been completely different now' she pondered, remembering how Christie had shivered when she did not pull away from her kiss on that drunken night.

'I gathered you were close, but not like that' Selena said softly, trying to keep her cool at the ease in which Gail showed her affection.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I wasn't like her, my life would have been so much less complicated if I could have returned her love but that wasn't me' she shrugged, then got out of the car and opened the back passenger side door.

Selena sat still for a moment, unsure what the confession meant.

'It means we're all in together, now come help your heavily pregnant friend with this big oaf' Gail advised flatly, then smiled when Selena got out of the car to assist her.

* * *

Lucas sat in his private Study buried deep within his property, reading Desperation by Stephen King which Gail had admitted was her favourite book. His wife had continued to be missing in action for the remainder of the day, choosing to leave her candidate Adam in the hands of Loris Holt and the last Mayor's wife Mary. It was strange to him that she would trust the work of people on the outside this close to the finishing line and her absence was concerning him, which caused him to leave their boys with Abe for the night while he remained here waiting patiently for her to return.

'I don't recall you ever inviting me to this room' Gail stated casually, as she leaned against the open door to the Study and glanced around the room curiously.

'I don't get much time to come here with my home being so populated these days' Lucas sighed and continued to read the page of his book.

Gail could not sense what her husbands current mood was and was curious as to why he had shielded himself off to her.

'Like you've shielded yourself off to me?' Lucas asked casually, not taking his eyes off of his book.

Gail inhaled deeply and entered the room uninvited, she was exhausted after the activity she had completed and guessed that Lucas was making a point of being detached like she had been. 'You're mad at me' she stated knowingly, as she approached him slowly and leaned over him from behind the chair he was occupying then ran her hands down his chest softly.

'Mad isn't what I'm feelin' Gail' Lucas advised, as he shrugged off her touch and continued to focus on the part he was reading.

Gail narrowed her eyes at his rejection, then moved in front of him and pulled the book from his hands. 'If mad isn't what you're feeling then what is it?' she asked, carefully placing the book down on the table beside his chair so not to lose his page.

Lucas let out a long sigh, then leaned forward and pulled her towards him roughly. 'A little picture made it's rounds today, one of Peter in a inappropriate position' he advised, staring up at her accusingly.

Gail had sent the picture of Peter ready to go full throttle with Selena to Loris and could not hide her amusement that word had gotten to her husband. 'I can't help that your horse can't keep his end dry' she shrugged, trying not to mock him in his current mood.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head slowly. 'This is how you wanna win? I can't decide whether I'm angry or impressed at how low you're willin' to go in this race love'

Gail smiled when he uttered his term of endearment for her and knew he could not really be mad at her. 'I've not officially publicised it yet, that choice is on Adam' she advised truthfully, then let out a low moan when Lucas' hands trailed under her dress and caressed her thighs.

'Oh so you've given him enough rope to decide whether he's gonna hang my candidate? The man is so self righteous that he wouldn't be able to win that way, your plan has failed love but you get a gold star for effort' Lucas mocked, then stared at her suspiciously when a dark glint crossed over her eyes and he became curious again as to her whereabouts for the remainder of the day when she had been missing.

'Oh that's my little secret soulmate' Gail said sweetly, sensing his guard waiver slightly and allowing her to read his mind.

Lucas was about to challenge her comment when she tangled her hands in his hair and pulled his lips towards her sweet spot.

'Do you really care about something more than this?' she asked seductively, pulling up her dress and allowing him to run his nose over her panties.

'You must think I'm oblivious to what's right in front of me...You've been a bad girl Mrs Buck, I can feel it' Lucas said knowingly, then watched excited as she knelt down between his legs carefully.

'And I can feel this' she smiled teasingly, as she unzipped his pants and released his hard manhood then placed it into her mouth and began to suck softly.

Lucas let out a loud moan as she took him in her mouth and shook his head at his own lack of control. 'You're hidin' somethin' from me and I will find out what it is' he panted, unable to hold in his arousal as she licked his length.

Gail knelt up so she could stare deep into his eyes, then cupped his chin in her hand and brought his face closer to her. 'Of course I am my love, but you don't really want to concern yourself with that right now do you?' she whispered softly, then kissed him passionately before returning her attention to his manhood.

Lucas inhaled deeply as she took him in her mouth again and knew this was a diversion tactic to distract him from what she was hiding; however, this was the playful Gail that he adored and he was not about to stop her from servicing him if that was what she desired.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

As Lucas watched his wife lay peacefully asleep beside him in bed with the sunlight shining down on her, he began to ponder over what could have made her forgive his actions towards her oldest friend and satisfy him so willingly on the day of her funeral. Lucas was not naive and although he loved the little games they played with each other, something inside of him was calling for caution and he was suspicious of her actions, especially as the dark clouds that had been covering the Town for weeks appeared to have disappeared.

A loud sigh from his left caught his attention and he glanced over at Luke, who was standing in the cot which he was starting to outgrow and was watching him intently. His youngest Son was a credit to them both and had been displaying some promising signs to show that he was his Fathers Son, Lucas wondered whether Gail had noticed the inherent change in their Son and glanced at his love when she shifted uncomfortably on her side of the bed, as though to answer his unspoken question.

Lucas signalled for his boy the lay back down and smiled when Luke obediently followed his instruction. He watched as his youngest snuggled up to his favourite stuffed toy and closed his eyes when he realised his Father would not be freeing him from his cage any time soon. That boy was smart and it would be interesting to see how Caleb would fare when he was older, not to mention how both boys would get along with a girl being present in their family.

Lucas had not given much thought to his Daughter, truly unsure of how the dynamic would play out. He sensed the powers he had been trained to serve were not impressed with how important Gail was to him, let alone a Daughter and he suspected his own Father still had some fight left in him. Lucas instinctively reached for his wife and stroked her large stomach, then pulled her towards him gently. In these uncertain times, she was doing well to remain devoted to their family and although her moods of late were unbalanced, he knew protecting their whole family was her main concern.

Gail gave a small shiver when she felt fingers gently trailing up the outside of her thighs, then let out a shocked breath when she felt her husband enter her uninvited when she was still in a sleeping state. She was about to protest against the unexpected action; however, when his hands caressed her body affectionately to show how much he desired her, she leaned back into him and moaned softly as he began to move in and out of her slowly.

'You're normally slightly averse to this way love' Lucas whispered into her ear, as he continued to take her softly.

Gail bit her lip as a prolonged feeling of pleasure travelled through her entire body and smiled at his comment. 'I'm usually fully awake when you try it' she laughed quietly, then reached back and pulled his lips to her as she allowed him to make love to her.

Lucas kept his pace slow and steady, savouring the feel of being inside of her this way. It was a pleasant surprise that she did not attempt to prevent him from taking her so intimately and he felt her body quiver excitedly at the long bursts of pleasure he was providing her. When he sensed both of their climaxes coming, he sped up his movements and bit down hard on her shoulder as he exploded within her.

Gail buried her head in the pillow to stifle her cries, then leaned back into her husband when she felt his soft tongue licking the wound he had just created. 'It's good that you've gotten this off your chest early, you may not be so appreciative of me when our new Mayor is announced later' she teased and ran her nose over his affectionately.

Lucas laughed and shook his head in a mock scolding manner, then buried his head into her neck and nipped her playfully as he stroked her stomach protectively. 'It's good that you've accepted my advances now, as no doubt you'll be in a less welcoming mood when my horse's hand is raised Darlin'' he whispered smugly, then kissed her neck softly.

Gail exhaled deeply as he gently pulled out of her, then shook her head knowingly. 'You keep that optimism soulmate and try to remember how fond you are of me no matter what comes your way today' she advised, then pulled away from his grasp and carefully got out of bed.

Lucas watched her curiously for a moment, then felt the strong caution inside of him resurface and sat up abruptly. 'What do you mean Gail?' he asked suspiciously, as she picked up Luke who had popped his head up again and held him carefully to her chest.

Gail smiled as Luke clung to her lovingly and tried to focus her thoughts on her Son, to keep them shielded from her husband. 'I don't mean anything sweetheart...I'm just a little ol' girl with a big heart, what could I possibly do?' she asked sarcastically in her best southern accent, then reached for her robe and headed out of the bedroom to find Caleb.

Lucas inhaled deeply at the comment as he watched her leave and shook his head in exasperation. Her reaction was all the confirmation that he needed of her doing something behind his back and he was determined to find out what she had been up to.

* * *

Matt sat on the front porch reading the Trinity Guardian with disdain. He knew Gail had endorsed Adam and wanted him to win this election; however, he would never have expected her to stoop to this level, especially when the voting had already been closed. He had been worried about her anyway due to what had happened to Christie, this article only increased his concern and he decided he was going to find her to check up on her.

'And where do you think you're goin'?' Merlyn asked sweetly, as she came onto the porch wearing a silk robe and sat down carefully while holding her hot cup of coffee.

Matt stopped on the top porch step, then approached his girlfriend slowly and threw down the newspaper on the small table beside her. 'She's not fine like you said, I knew she wouldn't be and I need to see her' he said abruptly and began pacing the porch.

Merlyn watched him concerned for a moment, then glanced at the headline and shook her head in exasperation. 'It's just a story honey, she's a Reporter and will report on what she finds out'

'It's slander' Matt snapped.

'Look at the picture Matt, it not slander it's clearly the truth' Merlyn corrected him calmly, not rising to his hostility.

'It's destroying a man's life and Gail wouldn't do that just to get her preferred candidate elected. Something's wrong M, how can you not see that?' he asked in disbelief, unable to see past anything but his concern for his best friend.

Merlyn inhaled deeply and shook her head, Matt's closeness to Gail was something she had been concerned about given her cousins frequent morality changes of late and his blind need to protect her was starting to bother her. 'I see a lot more than you think and you have no idea...Do you really believe that Lucas would allow anything to hurt his perfect family life?' she asked, attempting to make him see reason.

'You're countering with Lucas Buck? The man who benefits more from Christie's death than anyone else?' Matt snapped, not liking her recent acceptance of the man.

'Is this about Christie or Gail? You think Lucas is responsible for her death?' Merlyn asked confused, having considered the possibility previously but knowing it was safer to keep her suspicions to herself.

'I think his wife displaying characteristics that she normally wouldn't indicates something has happened to cause a shift in her. I also think it's odd that no-one is asking the obvious questions' Matt sighed, then sat down beside M and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Merlyn regarded Matt concerned, then stroked his cheek softly. 'I think that Gail wouldn't want you concernin' yourself with this. I also think that if Lucas was involved then there would be some punishment comin' his way, don't you? Or do you believe Gail would just stand by and allow such a betrayal to go unchallenged?' she asked knowingly.

Matt thought about the question for a moment, then shook his head in exasperation. 'I know Lucas won't let that article go unchallenged' he sighed, then leaned his head on M's shoulder and kissed her lovingly as he tried to put his best friend out of his mind.

* * *

'Where is she?' Lucas demanded, unable to hide his anger.

'I dunno, she don't check in with me' Caleb snapped, not liking his Fathers current tone.

'Did you know about this?' Lucas asked accusingly, holding up the newspaper for his Son to see.

'Why would I know? I don't even know when she woulda had time to write it yesterday' Caleb answered defensively, unsure why he was getting the blame here.

Lucas let out a long exasperated sigh and stared up at the sky, this article was unsportsmanlike and Gail had indicated it would not be published. It would impact Peter's reputation as a good trusting family man considerably and he knew Adam would not have endorsed the story, which meant this was down to his wife.

Even when Peter won the election, the man would not be taken seriously and that would cause problems in his Town which Lucas would not stand for. He opened up his minds eye in an attempt to locate Gail again and came up with nothing, his rage was stirring within him and right now he had no desire to keep it caged.

Lucas spotted Caleb turn to storm off, then grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him back towards him. 'You're her kin, you aligned yourself with her. Find her!' Lucas ordered through gritted teeth, knowing they had always had a connection.

Caleb was about to respond in a hostile manner, then remembered how Gail usually dealt with his Father when his tone got to this state and took a deep breath to calm himself like she would. 'I'm aligned to you both, we're family' he told his Father calmly, then closed his eyes and willed his dark half to assist him. He did not want to spy on his Step Mom; however, he knew she would not expect him to take the blame for something she had done, so willingly tried to locate her.

Lucas sensed Caleb call upon his darkness and relaxed slightly, he did not mean to blame his Son for this; however, he knew how close they were even if Caleb was trying to hide it right now and it was his boy's bad luck that he was in the vicinity and she was not. 'Focus on her image, call her to the forefront of your mind and open yourself up fully' he advised calmly, helping move this along. Gail may have shielded herself from him; however, he doubted she would have thought to shield herself from Caleb.

Caleb let out a long breath then breathed in deeply again, he caught sight of a blurred image of the Coffee Shop in front of the Sheriff's Station that Gail frequently visited and opened his eyes slowly when he was sure it was the correct building. Before he had a chance to say anything, Lucas released his arm and ruffled his hair.

'You did good Son, now go see your Sister and reassure her that you and your Step Mom are fine. The last thing I need is Harvard sniffin' around when I'm in this mood' Lucas ordered, then turned around and headed towards his car. He had a bad feeling that this article was not the only thing his love had been up to when he left her alone with her grief yesterday and he was going to make sure she confessed everything to him.

* * *

Selena sipped her black coffee slowly, savouring the bitter taste as it travelled down her throat. After the activities of the previous day, she had found it hard to sleep as her muscles were aching all over. 'Have I told you how annoyingly refreshed you look?' she asked bitterly, as she took another sip of her drink.

Gail smiled warmly and stared up at the clear blue sky above. 'It's a beautiful day with no dark clouds in sight and I slept better than I have in months' she advised happily, taking a sip of her herbal tea and winking at Luke who sat moodily trapped in his pushchair.

'Speaking of dark clouds' Selena smirked, then nodded towards the navy blue Crown Victoria which pulled up at the curb in front of the Sheriff's Station.

Gail sensed her husbands anger instantly and smiled sweetly at her present company. 'I think I'm about to get my wrist slapped' she joked sarcastically.

'Oh I think he'll be slapping more than that' Selena said amused, watching her true love exit the car and approach them confidently. 'Care to pull up a chair Sheriff? There's always room for you' she smiled smugly at him as he neared their position.

Lucas stared at Selena with disdain and then turned towards his wife. He had not expected to see his ex and his wife together in an apparent friendly setting and the scene caused his rage to increase. 'You tryin' to replace your dead friend love?' he asked coldly, 'I thought you'd get enough menial woman talk with Rita'

Gail kept her eyes on Selena and smiled pleasantly. 'That dead friend can't be replaced and the friendship with Rita is to make your Deputy's life easier, which in turn makes your life easier. This collaboration right here is one of my choosing' she advised, amused at her husbands irritation.

'And the article you wrote ruinin' a man's family, was that of Adam's choosing like you indicated or yours?' Lucas asked forcing a calm tone, as she sat down beside his wife and completely disregarded Selena.

'That was a true depiction of what that so called family man gets up to when he believes no one is watching, it wasn't me who ruined his family life' Gail responded defensively.

'Don't try and be so justifiable, you don't think I recognise that behind love? You trapped him didn't you?' Lucas asked knowingly, then shot Selena a disapproving look.

Gail inhaled deeply at the comment, then watched as her husbands eyes travelled down Selena's body and tried not to lose her cool. 'If you're not careful you'll end up like he did' she stated calmly, then gave herself a mental shake when she heard Selena's sharp intake of breath and forced herself to remain in control.

Lucas smiled at her slip of the tongue and turned his full attention towards her. 'I knew the article wasn't the only thing you got up to, what did you do?' he asked sternly, as he took Gail's chin in his hand and turned her to face him.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and remained silent, challenging his authority. She would not allow him to dominate her like he had done to so many women before her, not so soon after Christie's funeral and not while she was in her current condition.

Lucas inhaled deeply, seeing the defiance in her eyes and shook his head slowly. 'You know I don't wanna hurt you, but I will not allow disloyalty' he advised calmly, sensing her stance.

'No disloyalty here soulmate, just an eye for an eye so to speak' Gail smiled devilishly, unable to hide her amusement at him being unable to read her fully.

Lucas stared into her eyes for a moment longer, then stood up and pulled her to her feet. He unlocked Luke's restraints in his pushchair and took his Son in his arms, before taking his wife's arm and leading them all back to his car.

'My car and the pushchair-' Gail started.

'Can be left with your new ally' Lucas interrupted, then placed Luke in his car seat in the back of his Crown Victoria before opening the front passenger door for Gail.

'If you insist Master Buck' Gail said teasingly, then got into the car and shook her head when Lucas slammed the door shut.

* * *

The drive seemed to go on for hours and the silence made to atmosphere even more tense. Lucas had opened his minds eye fully and was driving around Town aimlessly, until he sensed a slight shift in his wife and brought the car to a halt.

Gail sat quietly staring straight ahead when her husband got out of the car, walked casually to her side and opened the door for her.

'Get out' Lucas ordered, disregarding Luke's confused look.

'And leave a baby on his own in a car on a hot day...there's law's against that you know?' Gail smirked, then saw the serious look on her husbands face and got out of the car obediently.

Lucas ensured the back window was down and spotted Gideon lurking behind a nearby tree; therefore, he knew his Son would be safe enough. With that in mind, he gripped Gail's arm and dragged her through the woods roughly until they reached a clearing, which opened up to the Trinity River. Lucas surveyed the area from where he stood, then gently pulled Gail towards the riverbank where he spotted a dark stain in the grass.

Gail watched closely as her husband released his grip on her, then knelt down to inspect the dry blood which she had not been concerned about on the previous day.

'What did you do Gail?' Lucas asked curiously as he stared at the large dark stain and attempted to summon his twin to unlock whatever secret she was hiding.

'I didn't do anything, at least not at this point anyway' Gail shrugged, feeling a strange detachment from the situation she had found herself in.

Lucas shook his head in exasperation, then stood up and grabbed her shoulders. Her detachment was concerning him and he wanted her to own up to what she had done. 'You show me what happened love, right now' he ordered, trying to keep his rage under control.

Gail had no intention of lying to him, they were beyond that. Lucas had not been dishonest when she confronted him about Christie and she was happy to share her activities with her husband. Gail placed her hands on his cheeks softly and stared deep into his eyes, allowing her guard to disappear. She felt him prying into her mind instantly and closed her eyes as she felt him claw his way deeper into her memory, choosing not to block him out and opening her mind to him.

Lucas was taken to the previous evening, just before sunset. He stood at the clearing as Selena rolled Peter out of the Motel carpet they had disguised him in, then watched as he began to bleed out onto the grass.

'Go' Gail ordered Selena in a calm tone.

'I can't just leave you here-'

'Now!' Gail snapped sternly, then caressed the woman's cheek softly and smiled at her reassuringly before she obeyed the order and left. When Selena was out of sight, Gail stared coldly in the direction of the woman for a moment, then turned her attention back to Peter.

'H-he-help' Peter spluttered, as he held his bleeding gut tight and began coughing.

Gail knelt down and stared deep into his eyes, pulling away his hand from his gut to prevent him from applying pressure to the wound. 'That's what Christie asked, she begged to see her Daughter one more time before that option was taken away from her forever' she advised sadly, then stood up carefully and took a small step back.

'I-I did- didn't do anythin'!' Peter screamed when he finally found his voice, sensing he needed to get away from here now.

'Neither did she, but such is life' Gail sighed, then stared into the river curiously and allowed her darkness to seep out of her.

Lucas watched the placid demeanour of his wife, then took a step back when he saw waves begin to crash not far from the riverbank and a dark figure emerged slowly.

Rosemary walked intently towards the riverbank, her dark wet hair draped over her face so her eyes were not visible. When her foot touched the dry ground, she hesitated slightly then began to circle Gail and Peter, appearing to survey the situation.

Gail watched her past self with an almost childlike curiosity, she could not explain it but she had so much love for this thing and her presence made her feel calm. She was past doubting her dark connections and finally ready to embrace her lineage fully.

Rosemary came face to face with Gail and stared deep into her eyes for a moment fascinated, ignoring the bleeding man before them. When Peter made a large gulp Rosemary's head swung towards him, then a dark grin appeared on her lips and skulked over to him. She regarded him curiously for a moment surveying the offering from her kin, then began dragging him towards the river without saying a word.

'W-wait...W-what's happening?' Peter questioned frantically, as he felt himself being pulled roughly. He tried to grab the grass in an attempt to stop the momentum; however, it was no use and he was soon engulfed by the water.

Gail continued to watch curiously, then jumped back when Peter stood up in the water and looked at her. She stared at him for a moment, feeling a slight doubt come over her at what would happen next; however, it was too late as she saw Rosemary's sharp finger nails reach from behind and pierce his eyeballs. Gail did not turn away when the man started screaming, she watched as Rosemary ripped away his eyes and bit into the flesh of his neck with her sharp teeth, before pulling Peter down to the depths of the river never to be seen again.

'Oh Gail' Lucas sighed shocked, as he released hold of her mind and was brought back to the present.

'This is how you wanted me wasn't it?' Gail asked coldly, as she surveyed his reaction curiously and waited for his response.

Lucas considered her words carefully for a moment, she had embraced her full darkness and a sudden pride came over him; however, that was replaced by the realisation that Peter had been swallowed up by the river and the man was supposed to be elected Mayor in a few hours.

'I guess my horse has won after all' Gail smiled smugly as she read his mind, then turned back towards the woods.

Lucas watched her curiously for a moment, her lack of emotion over what she had done was concerning and she had put him in a position where he was required to clean up her mess, with Selena being a witness in part to what had transpired.

'She's no witness, she's mine to play with and you will leave her alone' Gail called back at him, before making her way back to Luke and leaving Lucas to figure out how he was going to explain Peter's sudden disappearance.

Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head, ignoring his Father's laughter that suddenly came from all around him. He knew Malcolm was right about his lack of control over his wife and that high pitched laughter was left ringing through his ears, as he started to consider what his next move should be.

-The End-


End file.
